Born in November 1919, Polly Mann was a co-founder of Women Against Military Madness (WAMM), an anti-war group from the Minneapolis, Minnesota area.

Mann spent decades denouncing U.S. foreign policies and military conflicts, beginning with Vietnam and continuing through the War on Terror. “I love it when people give me a call and want to talk about the issues facing our country, especially the younger people,” she once said. “And it’s even more pleasant watching them take action and shar[e] my beliefs and goals for a more just society.” Mann traced the roots of world disharmony and militarism to what she called “rampant capitalism, more commonly known as the economic system or corporate globalization.”

Mann was still active with WAMM in her old age, disseminating Communist rhetoric at WAMM protest rallies and through the organization’s newsletter.

Mann died in San Francisco on January 12, 2023.